Sweet potato, also known as white potato, red potato, yam, sweet yam, or sweet potato, belongs to the grain and potato food group. The main nutrient in sweet potatoes is carbohydrates, with low protein and fat content.
Generally, people believe that replacing staple foods with sweet potatoes can reduce calorie intake and achieve weight loss. However, this belief is incorrect.
The calorie content of staple foods that are commonly mentioned refers to the calorie value of dry, unprocessed staple foods. For example, the calorie content of flour is 360-380 kcal/100g, with a high calorie value. However, when flour is processed into staple foods (such as steamed buns), the water content increases, and the calorie value decreases. Therefore, consuming staple foods does not easily lead to weight gain as imagined.
In addition, although sweet potatoes have high water and dietary fiber content and low fat content, they should not be consumed in large quantities. Sugars in grains are stored in the form of starch and can only be absorbed by the body after digestion. Compared to grains, sweet potatoes have higher sugar content, and some of the sugars in sweet potatoes are in the form of monosaccharides, which can be directly absorbed by the body without conversion. Therefore, consuming more sweet potatoes will result in higher sugar absorption and calorie production, leading to more fat conversion. Thus, using sweet potatoes as a staple food does not achieve the goal of weight loss.
